Xie Huizhou Was No Seasoned Lover

"Did you give these to the wrong person?"

Xie Huizhou looked at the game they so enthusiastically brought him, remembered the beauty-contest setup, and sank into thought.

He seemed to have stolen the protagonist's part.

Not only that, Zhou Yanqing had given him the rabbit he had hunted too. His eyes held a thousand words, but in the end, he only blushed scarlet, said it was a thank-you gift, and hurried away.

At this, Fang Yuanke froze for a moment and even glared at Xie Huizhou, treating him as a romantic rival.

Xie Huizhou took out the bronze mirror he carried and examined himself from every angle. He thought his looks were perfectly ordinary. "Could I actually be quite good-looking?"

He was tired of looking at his own face. Why were so many people so enthusiastic about it?

Capital City had plenty of beauties, and everyone had their own tastes. Xie Huizhou preferred sturdy bodies honed on the battlefield. He had always been dissatisfied with his sickly body and did not see what was attractive about it.

Li Xu returned with several close friends, carrying their game, and nearly tripped when he heard his murmuring. "I told you that you were good-looking! You don't have the slightest accurate understanding of your own face. I bet plenty of people will soon be asking His Majesty for your hand. Don't forget to invite me to your wedding feast."

Judging by his age, Xie Huizhou would soon be due to establish his own household, and the choice of his consort would soon be on the agenda.

He had even planned out how many children Xie Huizhou would have after marrying. All that remained was to become their godfather.

Xie Huizhou frowned. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm still young. Why would I get married? I haven't even thought about what it would be like to be the head of a household."

This was ancient times, after all. The Great Xia Dynasty still favored marriages between families of equal standing, arranged blindly through parental orders and matchmakers' words.

Xie Huizhou had no interest in arranged marriages. They were a torment to both the man and the woman.

For now, he could muster no interest in marriage.

His other close friends understood Xie Huizhou's unconventional views and said with grins, "It'll happen sooner or later, Zhouzhou. You're nearly old enough, and His Majesty will find you a good match eventually. If you mind not knowing your bride, you can see whether anyone here catches your fancy, propose, and settle the matter."

Social customs in the Great Xia Dynasty were liberal. A crowd of people interested in Xie Huizhou boldly cast him flirtatious glances, and some even had the nerve to come up and ask what sort of person he liked.

They surrounded Xie Huizhou, and as their remarks grew bolder and bolder, he was suddenly at a complete loss.

"Ninth Prince, what sort of person would you like as your consort?"

"Ninth Prince, I offer myself for your bed. I'd gladly be your intimate companion!"

"If they can, then so can I!"

"Ninth Prince, look at me! I adore you!"

Xie Huizhou felt that if the old emperor were here, they would even dare to ask him to bestow a marriage.

Amid all those flirtatious glances, Xie Huizhou could hardly bear their enthusiasm. He was like a beauty surrounded by bandits about to carry him back to their stronghold as their chief's bride.

Xie Huizhou looked around and discovered that only the area around Imperial Preceptor Zhang Lanhe was completely deserted.

"Perfect spot!"

Xie Huizhou took off toward Zhang Lanhe, stopping only once those enthusiastic people dared not approach him for fear of the Imperial Preceptor.

He had run so fast that he panted, drawing Zhang Lanhe's attention.

Having failed to obtain the person he wanted, Zhang Lanhe was in an increasingly gloomy mood. The emerald eyes in his icy face were like deep, still pools. Standing ramrod straight, the silver-haired man resembled a silver sword tempered on countless battlefields, chilling anyone who looked at him.

The murderous aura he naturally exuded kept many people from approaching. They could only watch longingly as the beauty ran over and give up.

Zhang Lanhe was somewhat surprised that Xie Huizhou had actually come over to him, like a kitten running to his feet. "Ninth Prince, don't you like them? I recall you enjoying romantic pleasures."

This was entirely different from the Xie Huizhou he had seen when visiting him during his illness.

He still remembered how Xie Huizhou had fallen ill for a while from excessive indulgence. In his mind, he remained a dissolute young noble who reveled in sensual pleasures, with who knew how many lovers.

Since their last parting, they had never spoken at such close quarters again.

After observing him for a while, he discovered that Xie Huizhou not only looked nothing like a seasoned lover in that crowd, but was terribly inexperienced.

As the others grew increasingly enthusiastic, he had received such a fright that he would rather run into this dangerous territory beside him than leave.

Xie Huizhou had been lying all along, and had fooled even him.

Xie Huizhou was rather embarrassed, but he knew how to put on an act and continued to bluff. "Who said that? It's not as if I accept anyone who comes along. I don't want just anyone."

"I see."

Zhang Lanhe professed to believe him, but inwardly did not buy a word of it and had other ideas.

Very few people could fool Zhang Lanhe. He had thought he had seen through Xie Huizhou last time, only to discover that he was a little liar skilled at disguise, catching people off guard and taking them by surprise.

Here was someone who could be molded.

Zhang Lanhe's earlier idea resurfaced.

Since he could not find the person now and had nothing else to do anyway, he might as well have the old emperor hand the Ninth Prince over for some instruction after they returned.

He was willing to serve as Grand Tutor for a while. He wanted to mold the Ninth Prince, Xie Huizhou, into the form he envisioned.

The blade Zhang Lanhe wanted to plunge into others was one he would forge himself.

With Zhang Lanhe keeping everyone in check, there were no further incidents before the Spring Hunt ended.

Xie Huizhou directed his subordinates to load the game onto the carts and take it back, then returned to work furiously on his lousy drawings.

This Spring Hunt had given him plenty of inspiration.

Claiming that he had been frightened into a fatal illness, he shut himself away in the Detached Palace to draw and created many brilliantly stunning stories.

"A genius! Zhouzhou, your hands were born to draw." Holding his latest work, Li Xu was so moved that tears streamed down his face, as though he had witnessed a miracle. "Your drawings keep getting better. Spring Studio Hermit truly lives up to his reputation."

This time, Xie Huizhou incorporated more of Zhang Lanhe's story from the original text along with what he had seen and heard at the Spring Hunt, drawing many stories about him. With their erotic, provocative art and endlessly twisting plots, they could be called fine collectors' pieces.

After this comic that covertly smeared Zhang Lanhe was printed and sold, it became wildly popular within a month. Most people collected a copy and clamored for a second volume.

The story was based on the Imperial Preceptor?

Even the artist denied it. How could it be?

Besides, they simply loved a spectacle.

Zhang Lanhe did not enjoy reading such things either, so however popular it became, he never noticed. Li Xu grew increasingly bold and kept pressing for the next volume.

Xie Huizhou blushed. "Hey, hey, hey, don't mention my pen name. It's too embarrassing. I have my dignity."

How was this any different from reading his online handle aloud in public?

Xie Huizhou changed the subject. "Has anything interesting happened lately? I've been drawing so many comics that I've forgotten to keep up with the gossip."

Li Xu's expression turned strange. "One piece of good news, one piece of bad news."

"What's the good news?"

"After the incident at this Spring Hunt, His Majesty punished the Eighth Prince by confining him to his residence to reflect on his mistakes." The moment gossip came up, Li Xu became secretive. "He usually offends plenty of people, and now someone submits an impeachment against him every day. He's so overwhelmed that he can't spare you any attention. He won't be making trouble for you."

"His bad luck is good news indeed."

Xie Huizhou thought that the Eighth Prince had not seriously offended that many people. It should not have brought so many people out to impeach him all at once.

Either the other princes were kicking him while he was down, or his scheme against the Eighth Prince had worked, and the Eighth Prince had offended the Imperial Preceptor by refusing to reveal his hidden trump card, his Shadow Guards.

Or they had all acted together.

Hearing that the Eighth Prince, with whom he had always been at odds, was having a run of bad luck put Xie Huizhou at ease.

He really could not keep appearing in front of Zhang Lanhe for a while. The man's eyes were far too sharp, and he caught people far too quickly.

Xie Huizhou asked, "That's the good news, then. What's the bad news?"

"Who knows what madness has come over His Majesty? He's decided to have you study under the Imperial Preceptor for a while before establishing your princely residence."

Princes were normally instructed by an appointed Grand Tutor. Now that task had been tossed to the Imperial Preceptor, and, surprisingly, he had not refused. This set the onlookers whispering among themselves.

A young prince who had all but been abandoned had actually managed to secure the Imperial Preceptor's backing. Quite a few people grew excited.

The Ninth Prince's fortunes had taken a turn for the better.

Every inch of Xie Huizhou radiated resistance. "Is he all right in the head? Rather than send me to the Imperial Preceptor, he might as well send me straight to the afterlife!"

He should have listened to the Shadow Guard and assassinated the old emperor long ago. Then there would not have been all this damn trouble.

Just then, people from the National Preceptor's Residence arrived and waited respectfully at the entrance.

"Ninth Prince, please board the carriage."